This law states that arousal improves performance up to an optimal point. Past this point, performance begins to decrease. When drawn on a graph this appears as an upside down U shape.

Inverted U Law

Activity: Some sports are better performed at low arousal, mainly those which require small, precision movements and control.

Which sports?

Sports Performance

Skill level: Beginners to a sport require all of their attention to be focused on the task in hand and so do not cope as well with over-arousal. Highly skilled individuals have the skill well practiced and so do not require such high levels of concentration meaning they can deal better with the arousal level.

Aroused?

Personality: Extroverts perform better in high-pressure, high arousal situations. Introverts tend to do better in a state of low arousal.

Anxiety 'A negative reaction of a performer to

stress, often leading to over arousal' 'An emotional state, similar to fear,

associated with arousal and accompanied by feelings of nervousness and apprehension'

Personality and Anxiety

'A stimulus resulting in arousal or a response to a specific situation’

Arousal - 'A state of readiness to perform that helps motivate individuals'

Stress

Stressors - This is the situation that causes the stressful response. For example, competition; frustration; injury; conflict

Stress response - This is the way in which we cope with stress.

General Adaptation Syndrome to explain this:

Alarm Reaction Fight or flight causing an adrenaline rush, rise in heart

rate and increase in blood sugar level, ready for activity Resistance The body adapts to manage the stressful situation until

it is overcome or passes Exhaustion The body can only cope with this state for a certain

period (may be very short-term, or may be months or years, dependant on situation). If the stressful situation is not rectified the body begins to fail to cope

Stress Experience As well as the physiological symptoms the

athlete will also experience psychological symptoms. These include:

Indecisiveness Decreased concentration Worry Decreased attention span This can then cause a vicious circle resulting in

increased levels of stress, which is called the stress spiral.

State anxiety The athletes emotional state at any given

time - variable from situation to situation

Trait anxiety An athletes disposition to interpreting a

situation as threatening and responding with an increase in state anxiety